Death It Grows Near
by Doctor-Thirteen
Summary: The TARDIS is thrown off course by a cosmic storm, and The Doctor and Rose end up in the last time period they want to be in.
1. Chapter 1

_**The sound of a materializing TARDIS filled the night air of what seemed to be a dark woods on the outskirts of a town.**_ A very few birds that were still resting on tree branches spread their wings and soared up, in a desperate attempt to hide from the unknown.

"So, where are we off to, then?" Rose Tyler, a bubbly 19-year-old earthling stared at a slim bloke in glasses, while trying to hang on to the TARDIS console. "Or, should I ask, _when_ are we off to?" She gave him a wide grin and he returned it.

"17th century, Rose! 1647!" The Doctor answered her cheerfully, taking his hands off of the console as soon as they stopped moving and sticking them in his pockets. He checked his coat for the sonic screwdriver, and was pleased to find it was still there.

"What happened then?" Rose asked, slightly puzzled. Usually, he'd tell her what event he was taking her to. It would always be a fair, or a ball, or some big celebration. He never failed to surprise her, and bring a smile on her face.

"I don't know. Something _brilliant_." He grinned, offering her a hand. "Shall we?"

Rose's giggle filled the room. _Brilliant_. She loved the way he said it. It was his catchphrase, as well as French 'allons-y'. Though, other than _allons-y_, The Doctor didn't seem to speak much French. She gladly took it, and the two strolled out. "We shall!"

_**As the doors closed behind them, Rose's eyes took some time to adjust to the darkness that surrounded them.**_ And from what she could see, they were in some sort of a forest. The sound of cricket chirping filled the air, other than that, it was dead quiet. An owl turned it's head, looking at the blonde menacingly before flying away. Rose could swear she felt something slither by her foot. She took one step closer to The Doctor, clutching his arm. He gave her a light squeeze, as Rose voiced a question that was on his mind as well.

"Where are we?" Rose breathed out, looking wildly around.

"No idea. This is not where we were supposed to land." The Doctor muttered in response, taking his screwdriver out and letting it illuminate their surroundings. Yes, definitely a forest. Or woods. He knelt down, trying to find something.

"So, we don't even know if we're on Earth?" She asked. The fear seemed to leave her as The Doctor's screwdriver provided light. Not only that, but the sun was already coming up as well.

"We're definitely on Earth. These plants can only survive here. Don't know what year, though." He responded, getting up.

Rose smiled slightly as the sunlight uncovered a city that stood before them. It looked really clean, as the sun beams bounced off the surface of the big gallery windows in the distance. "Why don't we go and find out?"

The Doctor grinned, taking her hand again. "That's the spirit!" He praised her as they went trough the bushes and other obstacles mother nature set for them.

_**Once there, Rose was surprised at how little people there were on the streets. There were so many houses that could support a large number of people, she refused to believe they were seeing everyone.**_ And the people on the streets seemed to walk by real fast, their hands covering their mouth as in shock, as they ran to their beloved homes. She looked up at The Doctor, worry glistening in her eyes, and he returned her gaze.  
>Something was scaring these people away. Was it aliens? Oh, they didn't fight them in a while. A small smirk played on his face.<p>

Rose noticed and, pondering what he was thinking, nudged him with her elbow. 

"Hey!" The Doctor exclaimed, rubbing the spot Rose hit him in, namely, his ribs. "What was that for?"

"These people are scared of something. Or someone. And we're going to find out what it is." She smiled, and just as he was about to say something, she cut in. "Also, you can't gloat if it turns out to be an actual alien. That's just not right." She added playfully.

"You take all the joy out of it." The Doctor gave a good-natured huff before turning to a fellow that was standing on the street, watching the sun rise. "Excuse me? Would you be so kind and tell me what year this is?" He asked.

The man whipped around and stared at him in bewilderment. He threw his hands up in the air and started backing away. "Don't come near me, you disease carrier!"

Rose blinked, frowning as the man ran off. "What did he mean by that?"

The Doctor looked down on her. "Don't you see? It's not _who_ they're afraid of, it's _what _they are afraid of. It's an illness. And if it turns out to be something normal, I'm afraid we're going to have to turn tails and let nature take it's course, Rose."

Rose's frown deepened, a light shiver going down her spine. A disease. It must have been a hell of a terrifying one if it scared so many people out of their minds. The Doctor immediately took notice of her discomfort and put an arm around her, almost in a protective manner. A ghost of a smile flashed across her face, and he seemed content.

"Mind if I stray for a bit? I '_gotta go'_." Rose smiled up at him.

"Not too far, though. And don't enter the city until I find out what's going on." The Doctor warned her sternly. "You best wait inside the TARDIS, all right?"

Rose frowned slightly. "But you. What if you get infected?" She asked, slight panic flooding her voice. She'd hate herself forever if she let him run off like he always does, and get himself hurt.

"A timelord's body is a miracle, Rose. Not many earthly diseases can harm me." He smiled, touched by her care and gave her a goodbye kiss on the forehead.

Rose shivered and smiled watching him run off, his long coat flapping in the wind. She whipped around and began quick pacing toward the TARDIS, just wanting to get to the bathroom as soon as possible. Time travel can really mess up your entire system.

_**Rose stopped dead at a sound of a child shrieking, and quickly turned around, looking around for the source of the desperate calls for help.**_ If there was one thing she'd learned from The Doctor, it was to always try your best to help others, no matter how desperately you want to get to the loo.

Her eyes scanned her surroundings. A few houses, a tree here and there, a pit, a garden… _A pit!_ Rose quickly ran to the edge of it. So that's where the calls for help were coming. A young boy lay at the very bottom of it, curled up and frost-bitten. His pitiful cries for help were growing weaker and weaker, as was his tiny body.

Without thinking, Rose launched herself into it. It wasn't very deep, not for her anyway, as it only reached up to her shoulders. Very gingerly, she took the child in her arms, cooing softly. She touched the boy's forehead. He was positively burning up with high fever. His glands were incredibly swollen. He sneezed.

Rose froze. Could this be the disease they were talking about? How could she have been so incredibly stupid to just jump in? Still, she shrugged those thoughts away. She could never live with herself knowing she left a child to die alone at the bottom of a pit.

The boy squirmed in her arms, obviously pained by even the slightest touch. Rose climbed back up, which turned out to be rather challenging, knowing she held a child in her arms. Oh, the look on her mother's face if she could see her now! Shaking her head, she wrapped her arms protectively around the child's shivering body. He wasn't even properly dressed. Rose huffed. What kind of parents leave their child outside while it's ill? Did he even have parents?

Rose's gaze shifted to the road before them, and she was startled to find a woman staring at them. Blinking, Rose stopped in her tracks. A flash of recognition glinted in the woman's eyes. Her mouth ran dry, and her pale cheeks were wet with tears.

"My boy. My beautiful boy." The woman sobbed, burying her face in her hands.

Rose looked at the child, then back at her. "Is this _your_ son?"

The woman gave her a sharp nod, inhaling sharply as she fell to the ground. She started sobbing uncontrollably, seeing her son limp in a stranger's arms. "I..I..Is he d..dead?" She managed to ask between sobs.

Rose came closer, eyes glistening with compassion. "He's still alive. Still breathing. Still your son."

Without waiting for Rose to finish, the woman snatched the child away from her and started sobbing over his motionless boys. He wasn't dead, but he was as good as.

"Why'd you leave him?" Rose asked softly, though she couldn't help but judge her just a bit.

"My husband. He's very strict. My son came home sick one day and he threw him out, saying we'd all catch it." She began explaining, panic flooding her voice as she got to her feet. The woman shook her head, mumbling something along the lines of, "_To hell with everything, he's my child and I'm not letting him die on the street like a dog…"_

"Catch what?" Rose questioned. She wondered if the people around here knew what they were infected with.

The woman's eyes were wide as she approached Rose. "The plague." She hissed in an urgent tone, before turning around and hurrying toward her home.

The two words echoed in Rose's mind. _The plague_. She'd read about that in school. It killed off so many people Rose could barely believe it.

She stepped away, trying not to hyperventilate. No, she had to remain positive. Surely, she couldn't have caught it during those brief 15 minutes she'd spent with the child, could she now?

_**The Doctor walked the narrow streets of the town, getting himself used to the fact that people were actually avoiding him.**_ That felt strange, so incredibly strange. His friendliness was always contagious. He kicked a pebble out of his way, stealing glances at the windows of people's homes. Darkness pressed on most of them, but some had people on them. People who watched the sunlight with lust. Sick people. People that would probably never get to feel it again.

But the Town Square was quite a sight. Dozens of people that have fallen victims to this mysterious disease were lying on the ground. Their bodies were cold and lifeless, their mouths still gaping open and their eyes still looking up, begging for mercy. The Doctor reluctantly turned away as a man tugged on his coat. He knelt down to his level, taking his screwdriver out and pointing it at him.

"I'm so sorry." He muttered to the man, watching him collapse just a second later.

A strange bird-like figure was running over to them. It was one of the plague doctors, all dressed in white and with a big beak-like mask that protected him from the airborne bacteria. He looked at The Doctor, blinked, and went back to his job. He dragged his former patient away from a very disturbed timelord and stripped him off of his clothes.

It was a part of the plague protocol. The clothes of the victims were burned, and their bodies were dumped in mass graves. So this was the famous Black Death that took so many lives back in the day. And it was all happening now, right in front of Doctor's eyes. His worst nightmare. Seeing innocent people being killed agonizingly slow, and not being able to do anything about it since it is a fixed point in time.

He sighed as he returned the screwdriver back to his pocket. Then something flashed inside his mind. Rose. Rose knew nothing about the plague. Knowing her, she was probably out there somewhere, trying to help around the patients. He quickly turned and began running towards the place he left her, hoping it wasn't too late.

"_**Rose!"**_

The sound of his voice made her heart want to beat right out of her chest. He came back. He found her. He was closing in. Maybe just about to hug her… She couldn't let that happen.

"Don't!" Rose shrieked, backing away from him. She couldn't let him get close. Not if it was possible the deadly bacteria was now transferred to her.

The Doctor lowered his hands again, blinking at her in confusion. Usually, she was overjoyed to see him, and now she won't even give him a hug?

"Is this one of your mood swings your mother warned me about?" He asked bluntly, out of pure innocence.

"_Oi_!" Rose snapped, but couldn't help but smile.

His face darkened again, as he remembered what he wanted to tell her. "Rose, this disease, it's…"

"The plague, I know." Rose answered, lowering her eyes to avoid his gaze. "I helped get a sick child out of a pit, and his mother told me…" She was prepared to hear stern words of disapproval, which she didn't get to hear often. "I know, I know, I put myself in danger. I wasn't thinking. I just saw the child and…"

She was cut off as The Doctor pulled her into a tight hug. Rose could feel her eyes water again. She'd never been so scared in her entire life. Not even when they were facing aliens and monsters…

As he pulled away, he produced his screwdriver again and pointed it at her. The blue light flashed in front of Rose's eyes, before slowly going down. She was getting a full body scan.

"So, did I..."

"No." He quickly answered her burning question, sticking the screwdriver back in his pocket. Her question wasn't the only thing 'burning', though. Her forehead. He felt it closely when he pulled her into a hug. Of course, it was a sincere hug, as he really did appreciate her being the compassionate woman he fell in love with, but, still, a little bit of investigating never hurt anyone.

Rose sighed happily as she buried her face in his chest, relief sweeping over her. It was a good thing she couldn't see him, as his face was as pale as if he was one of the patients. **Rule number one: The Doctor lies.**  
>And he lied to her. He hated doing it, but he didn't want her to panic.<p>

"I do, however, want you to rest." He said, motioning toward the open TARDIS door.

Rose happily obeyed and entered the console room, pretty excited about the fact she wasn't dying. She felt weary, but guessed it was from climbing out of that pit, so she hit the bed straight away. It didn't take her much time to fall asleep…

_**Rose straightened up in her bed, feeling pain shoot trough her body.  
><strong>_

"Don't move." The Doctor advised her, willing her to lay back down. It worked.

She pulled the covers over her shivering body and looked at him, accusation glittering in her eyes. "You lied."

The Doctor nodded. "I'm not proud." He said. "Though, tell me, would you have gone back to the TARDIS with me if I told you the truth?"

Rose cocked her head slightly, sighing as she readjusted her pillow. "No. Probably not." She watched him closely, and blinked. "You didn't catch it too, did you?" Worry flooded her voice.

The Doctor shook his head, then coughed slightly. Rose looked at him with wide eyes, and he just responded by laughing. She huffed. "You _arse_! Don't ever scare me like that again."

"Can't make any promises." He smiled down at her. "Do you need anything?"

Rose nodded. "Water. And a hug."

The Doctor's smile turned into a grin as he bent down and gave her a hug.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch.." Rose panted, her muscles still sore. She didn't think much of it, though, knowing she was in safe hands. "Look at you, being a real doctor for once."

"Am I supposed to be insulted? Because I feel a bit insulted. Just a bit."

Rose grinned, throwing her pillow at him. "Water!" She demanded, her melodic giggle echoing trough the room.


	2. Chapter 2

Rose awoke in the same bed three days later, feeling much better. She stretched, feeling that her muscles weren't quite as sore as before. She was still ill, and the plague did take quite a toll on her. Her face was paler than usual, and she lacked the good ol' Rose spirit she was usually so full of, but she was getting better.

Even the plague wasn't so scary when you had The Doctor by your side. He took her into God knows what hospital, and in what century, where plagues were cured as easily as the common cold. She just hoped there were no patients stuck in cells beneath it, though, since that had happened once. That sort of thing happened quite often with The Doctor around. And this was the first time in a while Rose had stopped to think about it. Running with The Doctor, it was brilliant, it was mad, and it was, overall, dangerous. And the best part? She didn't even care. For the first time in nineteen years, Rose truly felt alive.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the very person she was thinking of entering the room. She smiled brightly up at him, beaming, evidently more cheerful than when she sat in there alone.

"How's my favorite, and only, patient doing today?" He greeted cheerily as he closed the door behind him and sat at her bedside.

"Much better, thanks to… Whatever those things are." Rose waved her head toward a bottle of green pills on the little table next to her bed.

"Pestis curatione." The Doctor corrected her. It was actual Latin for 'plague treatment'. "When do you think you'll be back to running about?"

Rose stretched again, taking his hand in hers and just playing with it like a baby. "Dunno. I feel better, though." She added reassuringly, flashing him a smile. "Why ask?"

"Well, I get out of the TARDIS, visit another planet, and there's no one holding my hand and giggling by my side." He answered, mirroring her smile. "It's quite depressing, actually."

"And there I was, thinking you had replaced me with an alien already." Rose joked, knowing well that the last planet they had landed on consisted purely out of living, moving plants and decorated bushes.

The Doctor wrinkled his nose slightly at the thought. "Naahhhh, no rose could replace my Rose."

Rose beamed up at him as she tugged on his sleeve. And though she was smiling, her eyes betrayed sadness. She hadn't forgotten about the child she had saved, well, almost saved. The poor thing was so ill, it surely must have died not a day later.

"What's wrong?" The Doctor asked, the smile fading away. "Are you hurting?"

"No, no, I'm fine." Rose reassured him once again, though she couldn't help but let out a shivering sigh. "I held him in my arms… And then he was gone. Just like that." She let it all out at last, as if she were mourning her own child.

The Doctor sadly gazed down at her, his eyes showing pity. And Rose knew he would go back, she knew he would try and save all of those people, if only the plague wasn't such a big event in history. A timelock has been placed on it, and not even The Doctor was able to break trough. "Rose…" He began, giving her hand a soft squeeze. "We can't always save everyone." His face lit up a bit as he recalled her telling him she got the child out of the pit. He was truly, truly proud of her. "But we can try." He added softly and bent down to kiss her forehead.

Rose blinked a tear that has formed in her eye away and managed to smile up at him.

"Now, promise me you'll get some sleep. I'm lost without my companion." He gave her a soft smile, and she returned it with a nod.

"Oi!" She called after him as he was at the door. "Don't let those flowers seduce you while I'm not there. They might smell nice, but you don't wanna get too close to the thorns."

"I can't make any promises." The Doctor answered with a teasing smile as he began closing the door. He could see Rose pouting like a child, and it made him smile.

"You arse." He heard her say affectionately as she covered her head with a pillow, determined to get back to sleep.

The smile he had on his face faded as soon as he shut the door. He leaned on them, sliding down to the floor with a heavy sigh. Rose had brought up a painful subject. Throughout the years, he saved many, and lost little. But the ones he lost still pained him. Rose had yet to learn to let go, to try to ignore it, although she'd never quiet forget it.  
>But one thing he did holds true. He told Rose he'd try to save them. And he would. He'd always try.<p> 


End file.
